ACLU: DHS Has Not Ended Discriminatory Program in AZ

After Monday’s Supreme Court Ruling striking down some parts of Arizona’s SB 1070 anti-immigration law, the Department of Homeland Security responded with an announcement about the federal 287(g) program, which gives local law enforcement officials power to function like immigration enforcement agents. The 287(g) program is connected with many controversies, including the alleged discriminatory practices of Arizona Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The DHS announcement terminates only a small part of the 287(g) program, one that allows state and local police patrols to act, in effect, as immigration agents. Still in effect is the part of 287(g) that allows officers to screen people who are already arrested and booked for their immigration status. From the ACLU blog post:

Even after Monday’s Supreme Court decision, DHS’s 287(g) jail enforcement agreements remain in full force in Arizona. What does this mean for Latinos and immigrants in Arizona? State and local officers granted 287(g) jail enforcement authority will continue to have extensive immigration enforcement power, including issuing immigration detainers, processing people for immigration violations, and preparing immigration charging documents. This is not an end to the 287(g) program in Arizona.

All parts of the 287(g) program incentivize local law enforcement to discriminate based on race or skin color, including the parts of the program still in effect in Arizona. This program is still promoting fear and oppression of Latino communities in Arizona, and it must come to an end.